Through our very own editors and guest writers, this blog will discuss the INSIDE scoop on the admissions process of various schools and programs. If you wish to ask a specific question, please write to us, and we will make every attempt to address your questions in our future blog discussions.

Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Will US Schools Actively Recruit Cuban Students

This week was a big one for Cuba and the United States. After severing ties with Cuba in 1961-largely in response to Castro's Communist regime-the two countries resumed diplomatic relations on Monday of this week.

There continues to be a commercial and economic embargo, preventing the two countries from formally doing business. But the U.S. has reopened its embassy in Havana and travel restrictions between the two countries are slowly being loosened. The gradual reestablishment of the relationship between the countries is being referred to in the media as the "Cuban Thaw".

With the status of the new logistical relationship still up in the air, it is difficult to see what this will mean for higher education. Cuban business students, however, offer an interesting demographic for U.S. business schools. The Wall Street Journal reports that Cuban higher education is known for its strength in the sciences. The diplomatic and economic flux between the two countries also presents fertile ground for academic discourse.

Among the logistical hurdles-access for Cuban students to standardized tests such as the GMAT. There is some concern that many students may not be able to finance costly U.S. educations. Of course, access to information and ease of communication between the two countries will slowly lubricate the process.

In the mean time, the trickle down effects of this watershed political moment may mean big changes on the academic horizon.